Fluid supply system



Feb. I, 1938.

G. E. WHITE FLUID SUPPLY SYSTEM Filed Sept. 23, 1936 IN VE 1V TOR Gerald I IVzie.

Patented Feb. 1, 1938 UNITED STTE FATE? FIQE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to fluid supply systems such as a household water supply system and more particularly to the combination therewith of a novel form of drip valve. The principal object of the invention is the provision of means for preventing the loss of hot water in such a system, due to leaky faucets.

This object is attained by providing a drip valve which supplies cold water to leaky faucets 10 instead of hot water and which does not dilute the hot water withdrawn from the faucet when the faucet is appreciably opened. In other words, cold water is supplied to the hot water faucet only so long as the faucet is substantially closed 15 and hot water is supplied to the faucet, without being diluted by cold water, when the faucet is appreciably opened.

Illustrative embodiments of shown in the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a sectional View of a preferred form of drip valve;

Figs. 2, 3, and 4 illustrate, somewhat diagrammatically, various applications of the drip valve of Fig. l to a household water supply system; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a modified form of drip valve.

The valve illustrated in Fig. 1 comprises a hollow tubular casing I0, having large inlet and outlet openings II and I2 in its opposite ends and 30 a small auxiliary inlet opening I5 in its side.

The openings II and I? are of substantially the same size and the opening I5 is materially smaller than openings I I and I 2. The casing is tapped adjacent each of the openings II, I2 and I5 to 35 receive pipe connections of appropriate size. Supply pipe section I3 is shown as connected to the casing I adjacent inlet opening II. Supply pipe section I I is shown connected to the casing adjacent outlet opening I2.

The interior of the casing I0 is formed to provide a valve seat Ila around the opening II and to slidably receive a piston valve IS. The piston has a head I'oa adapted for engagement with seat I I a, whereby to close opening I I, as shown.

45 A coiled compression spring I! is positioned between the outlet end of easing I0 and piston I6 to resiliently urge the piston toward opening II.

The shape of piston I6 and the relative posi- 50 tion of openings II and I5 are such that when the piston is moved away from opening II its cylindrical side wall closes opening I5. Thus the piston I6 is adapted to be moved to alternately close openings II and I5.

When the piston is in position to close openthe invention are ing II, an unrestricted passageway is provided I between openings I5 and I2. When the piston is in position to close opening I5, a substantially unrestricted passageway is provided between openings II and I2.

The effective strength of spring II is such that it will hold piston I6 in position to close opening I I only so long as the fluid pressure on both sides of the piston is substantially equal. When the pressure against the head of the piston appreciably exceeds that against the opposite side thereof, spring I! is compressed and the piston moves to a position closing opening I5. When the pressure is again equalized, spring I! forces piston l6 back in position to close opening I I and to free opening I5.

The operation of the valve can best be described in connection with its use in a conventional household water supply system such as that illustrated in Fig. 2. As there shown, pipe sections I3 and I4 comprise a hot water supply line. Section I3 has one end connected to the hot water heater I8 and the other end connected to valve casing I0 adjacent inlet opening I l. Section I4 has one end connected to valve casing I0 adjacent outlet opening I2 and is provided at its other end with shut-off valves or faucets l9 and 20.

A cold water supply pipe is shown at 2| connected to any suitable source of supply under pressure. Cold water is supplied to the hot water heater I8 from pipe 2i through connection 22. Cold Water is supplied to the auxiliary inlet open ing I5 in valve casing I0 through the connection 23, which is of reduced section.

From the foregoing hook-up, it will be apparent that hot water may be withdrawn from faucets I9 and 20 only after it has passed through valve casing I0 and that cold water may also pass through casing I0 and be discharged at faucets I 9 and 20. The purpose of this hook-up is to prevent the loss of hot water due to leaks in faucets I0 and 20 and to supply cold water for such leaks without diluting the hot water which is withdrawn from the faucets when they are intentionally opened for that purpose.

As previously stated, spring I! holds piston I6 in position to close opening II so long as the pressure on both sides of the piston is equal. When faucets I9 and 20 are closed after the withdrawal of hot water, the pipe sections l3 and I4 and the casing III are all full of hot water. The pressure on both sides of piston I6 is therefore equal and spring I? holds piston I6 in position to close opening I I.

When piston 16 is in position to close opening ll, there is an unrestricted passageway between opening I5 and opening l2. Therefore, any water lost from casing ill or pipe M by leakage through the faucets I9 and 20 is immediately replaced by cold water admitted throughinlet opening l5.

When either of the faucets is appreciably opened, water is withdrawn from casing l0 and pipe section l4 faster than cold water is admitted through the small opening l5, resulting in a suflicient reduction in pressure on the outlet side of piston Hi to cause the piston to move away from opening II and to close opening l5. Thereafter, so long as the faucet is held open, hot water flows through the casing I0 and the cold water supply is positively stopped. Piston I6 is actuated to again close opening II as soon as the faucet is closed.

Thus it will be seen that the drip valve serves to prevent loss of hot water by leakage while avoiding dilution of the hot water when the hot water faucets are appreciably opened. Of course to accomplish this desirable result it is essential that opening 05 be substantially smaller than openings l l and I2 and that spring I! be strong enough to hold piston against seat Ha, only so long as the pressure on both sides of the piston is substantially equal. Likewise, the effective openings of faucets l9 and 20 must be larger than the opening 15.

In Fig. 3, there is illustrated a slightly different arrangement of the valve casing H! with respect to the water supply system. Here the drip valve is located in the hot water pipe l3a adjacent the hot water faucet 20a. Cold water is supplied to opening l5 from the cold water pipe 2M through the connection 23a.

In Fig. 4, the drip valve is shown as built into a combination hot and cold water faucet 24 to which hot water is supplied by pipe l3b and cold water by pipe 21b. Cross connection 231) supplies cold water to the opening IS in valve I0 which is built into the hot water side of the faucet.

Regardless of the manner in which the drip valve is applied to the Water supply system, its operation is as described above. Some advantage is obtained by locating the valve close to the faucet as then no portion of the hot water pipe becomes filled with cold water as might be the case when the hook-up of Fig. 2 is used.

Themodified form of drip valveillustrated in Fig. 5 operates exactly the same as the valve In. The only difference is in the arrangement of the outlet openings. It includes a casing Illa having a large hot water inlet opening III), a large hot water outlet opening l2a and a small cold water inlet opening l5a. Apiston 16b is slidablymounted within the casing Illa and adapted to alternately close openings lib and I511. The piston llib is resiliently urged against the inlet opening I lb by a compression spring I'm.

The valve Illa may be used in place of valve 50 in any of the hook-ups illustrated in Figs. 2, 3, and 4. Of course some changes would be required to use valve Illa in the combination hot and cold water faucet shown in Fig. 4.

The scope of the invention is indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a valve comprising an elongated casing having an inlet opening in one end and an outlet opening in the other end of substantially the same size, the casing having a smaller auxiliary inlet opening formed in its side intermediate its opposite ends, a piston arranged within the casing to move longitudinally therein, the piston adapted to be moved to alternately close the large and small inlet openings, and a spring positioned within the casing, between the outlet end thereof and the piston to resiliently urge the piston to closed position with respect to the large inlet opening.

2. A fluid supply system including, in combination, a valve casing having large inlet and outlet openings and a small auxiliary inlet opening, a source of fluid supply, a supply pipe connected to the source of supply and the large inlet opening, a discharge pipe connected to the outlet opening of the valve casing, a shut-off valve associated with the discharge pipe, a second source of fluid supply, a supply pipe connecting the said second source of supply with the small auxiliary inlet opening, a piston within the casing adapted to be moved to alternately close the large and small inlet openings, and a spring positioned within the casing resiliently urging the piston to closed position with respect to the large inlet opening.

3. A fluid supply system including, in combination, a valve casing having large inlet and outlet openings and a small auxiliary inlet opening, a source of fluid supply, a supply pipe connected to the source of supply and the large inlet opening, a discharge pipe connected to the outlet opening of the valve casing, a shut-off valve associated with the discharge pipe, a second source of fluid supply, a supply pipe connecting the said second source of supply with the small auxiliary inlet opening, a piston within the casing adapted to be moved to alternately close the large and small inlet openings, and a spring positioned Within the casing resiliently urging the piston to closed position with respect to the large inlet opening, the pressure exerted by the fluidat the large inlet opening being suflicient to overcome the resistance of the spring when the shut-off valve associated with the discharge pipe is opened and to move the piston to a position to close the small auxiliary inlet opening.

4. In combination, a Valve comprising a casing having large and small inlet openings and a :5

large outlet opening, means to supply fluid under pressure to the large and small inlet openings, an adjustable shut-off valve arranged exteriorly of the casing and associated with the outlet opening, a piston arranged within the casing adapted to be moved to alternately close the large and small inlet openings, and means disposed within the casing for resiliently holding the piston in closed position With respect to the large inlet opening only so long as the shut-off valve is substantially closed.

5. The combination with a water supply system including hot and cold Water supply pipes provided with discharge faucets, of means .to prevent leakage of hot water from the hot water supply faucet comprising a valve casing having large inlet and outlet openings connected to the hot water supply pipe whereby the hot water passes through the casing to reach the hot water when the hot Water faucet is substantially closed and insufficient to hold it in such position when the hot water faucet is appreciably opened.

6. In combination, a valve casing having large and small inlet openings and a large outlet opening, means to supply fluid under pressure to the large and small inlet openings, an adjustable shut-01f valve located outside the casing and associated with the outlet opening, and a piston within the casing arranged to close the large inlet opening only when the shut-off valve is closed and to close the small inlet opening only when the shut-off valve is appreciably opened.

GERALD E. WHITE. 

